🔗 Share this article Christantus Uche Fuels Dominant Palace Victory at Irish Side Shelbourne. Even though embarking on their maiden continental adventure, Oliver Glasner's side are adapting very quickly. Without key players like forward Jean-Philippe Mateta and defender Daniel Muñoz, the London club departed Dublin with a comfortable win that virtually guarantees them a spot in the Conference League qualifying rounds. A further victory in their next fixture against Finnish KuPS ought to be enough to secure straight entry to the last 16, especially following a prior stumble against Strasbourg. Squad Members Grasp the Moment This match offered a platform for some of Palace's lesser-used talent to impress. Christantus Uche, in only his second start since arriving on loan from Getafe, opened the account with a clinical goal. Forward Eddie Nketiah contributed a second, scoring for the second consecutive match. A Shelbourne side that had concluded their domestic season proved outmatched against a mostly rotated Palace lineup. The visitors were further depleted by the reports that Mateta and Muñoz are sidelined with leg injuries. Control Asserted from the Outset In spite of heavy rain in Dublin, Palace quickly took control. A flowing move in the 11th minute, sparked by Daichi Kamada's clever pass, let Nketiah to set up Uche for a simple tap-in. Youngster Adam Wharton went close soon after, driving a long-range shot over the bar. Nketiah subsequently claimed for a penalty after bursting into the box, but the official waved away the protests. Ex-Arsenal striker did not have wait long to get his goal, tapping home from close range after Uche's effort had hit the post. Shelbourne were hanging on for dear life. Defender Kameron Ledwidge was fortunate to escape a booking for a couple of robust challenges on Yeremy Pino, before Chris Richards struck the crossbar with a powerful header from a corner. Pino Wraps Up the Contest The match was effectively over eight minutes from half-time. Yeremy Pino meandered past some weak challenges before coolly dispatching a shot past keeper Wessel Speel to make it 3-0. Following the break, manager Oliver Glasner took the chance to withdraw several individuals like Kamada and Wharton. Substitute Romain Esse came close to scoring his first touch, but saw his effort blocked. Esse was desperately unlucky later on, seeing one shot strike off both posts before being gathered on the line. Uche then missed a glaring chance, showing there is still room for development in his game. The only worry for Palace was a late injury to Justin Devenny, who limped off. This paved the way for 17-year-old striker Benji Casey to earn his first-team debut, capping an otherwise perfect night for the visiting side.
Even though embarking on their maiden continental adventure, Oliver Glasner's side are adapting very quickly. Without key players like forward Jean-Philippe Mateta and defender Daniel Muñoz, the London club departed Dublin with a comfortable win that virtually guarantees them a spot in the Conference League qualifying rounds. A further victory in their next fixture against Finnish KuPS ought to be enough to secure straight entry to the last 16, especially following a prior stumble against Strasbourg. Squad Members Grasp the Moment This match offered a platform for some of Palace's lesser-used talent to impress. Christantus Uche, in only his second start since arriving on loan from Getafe, opened the account with a clinical goal. Forward Eddie Nketiah contributed a second, scoring for the second consecutive match. A Shelbourne side that had concluded their domestic season proved outmatched against a mostly rotated Palace lineup. The visitors were further depleted by the reports that Mateta and Muñoz are sidelined with leg injuries. Control Asserted from the Outset In spite of heavy rain in Dublin, Palace quickly took control. A flowing move in the 11th minute, sparked by Daichi Kamada's clever pass, let Nketiah to set up Uche for a simple tap-in. Youngster Adam Wharton went close soon after, driving a long-range shot over the bar. Nketiah subsequently claimed for a penalty after bursting into the box, but the official waved away the protests. Ex-Arsenal striker did not have wait long to get his goal, tapping home from close range after Uche's effort had hit the post. Shelbourne were hanging on for dear life. Defender Kameron Ledwidge was fortunate to escape a booking for a couple of robust challenges on Yeremy Pino, before Chris Richards struck the crossbar with a powerful header from a corner. Pino Wraps Up the Contest The match was effectively over eight minutes from half-time. Yeremy Pino meandered past some weak challenges before coolly dispatching a shot past keeper Wessel Speel to make it 3-0. Following the break, manager Oliver Glasner took the chance to withdraw several individuals like Kamada and Wharton. Substitute Romain Esse came close to scoring his first touch, but saw his effort blocked. Esse was desperately unlucky later on, seeing one shot strike off both posts before being gathered on the line. Uche then missed a glaring chance, showing there is still room for development in his game. The only worry for Palace was a late injury to Justin Devenny, who limped off. This paved the way for 17-year-old striker Benji Casey to earn his first-team debut, capping an otherwise perfect night for the visiting side.